Israel Court Says U.S. Activist Corrie’s Death Was Accident

Aug. 28 (Bloomberg) -- An Israeli court said U.S. peace
activist Rachel Corrie was accidentally killed by the army,
rejecting a lawsuit brought by her family alleging that the
killing was deliberate.

Corrie, 23, of Olympia, Washington was run over by a
military bulldozer in March 2003 as she stood between it and
Palestinian homes in the Gaza Strip, according to the suit. The
family said Corrie was crushed intentionally as she tried to
prevent the demolition of the buildings.

Judge Oded Gershon said that evidence from witnesses showed
that the army had no intention of demolishing homes on that day
and that Corrie had been kneeling and was out of the line of
sight of the bulldozer driver when she was hit, according to an
e-mailed summary of the court decision.

Corrie family lawyer Hussein Abu Hussein said the verdict
highlights a “systemic failure to hold the Israeli military
accountable for continuing violations of basic human rights,”
and represents a “stamp of approval to flawed and illegal
practices that failed to protect civilian life.”

The family has decided to appeal, army radio said.

Corrie and other activists, many from the International
Solidarity Movement, were near the so-called Philadelphi Route,
which separates Egypt and Gaza.

‘Unfortunate Accident’

At the time, Israeli troops on that route were regularly
targeted by snipers, rockets and roadside bombs, and the
bulldozers were clearing an area to prevent attacks on military
vehicles and patrolling soldiers, according to government
testimony to the court.

“The claim that the deceased was intentionally hit by the
bulldozer is totally baseless,” Gershon wrote in the decision.
“This was an extremely unfortunate accident.”

The verdict was based on three investigations that made
clear that the driver could not see Corrie and could not have
avoided the “tragic accident,” the State Prosecutor’s Office
said in an e-mailed statement. It said an expert who testified
on behalf of the Corrie family agreed with the finding.